The invention relates to a component carrier for electrical/electronic components, for example for the combination with a latch housing or as a component of a latch housing of a motor vehicle door latch, comprising a carrier element and a strip conductor structure consisting of individual metallic strip conductors, which can be connected to the carrier element.
The component carrier with the aforementioned design, as disclosed in DE 10 2005 049 975 C5 is a latch housing of a motor vehicle door latch, containing at least one base element. The strip conductor structure is made from tinplate, consisting of cold-rolled sheet steel with a thickness of up to 0.5 mm. Also, a white shimmering tin coating of 5 μm is electrolytically applied. In this manner, a cost effective and sturdy design of a component carrier is provided.
Similar component carriers are disclosed in DE 101 39 356 A1 or also in DE 20 2010 009 708 U1.
As usual, the component carrier serves to accommodate electrical and/or electronic components on its carrier element and to connect the components to each other or to a remote control unit with the aid of a strip conductor structure. Once the electrical or electronic components have been fitted, the entire component carrier is usually encased in a casting compound in order to protect it against environmental influences. The strip conductor structure is generally a leadframe combining the different strip conductors and allowing their joint production. Together with the carrier element or the electrical/electronic components, the strip conductor structure is, once completed, mostly or entirely encased in casting compound. This procedure has generally proven to be successful.
For reasons of cost, prior art embodiments or practical applications generally have the aim of keeping the material thickness of the used strip conductor structure as thin as possible. The generic teaching disclosed in DE 10 2005 049 975 C5 uses at this point tinplate with a thickness of only up to 0.5 mm. The trend of saving material and using thinner and thinner material thicknesses results, however, in increasing installation problems. Especially when connecting motors or other larger and weighty components and electrical and electronic components to the strip conductor structure the problem occurs that angled lugs of the strip conductor structure can be inadvertently bent. This can even occur during operation as a result of the unavoidable movements of the motor. Consequently, contact problems can occur in practical application, which become particularly problematic after a certain operating time and are difficult to remedy. The invention aims to provide a solution for this.